I was due March 14 with my second girl but she had other plans! I had weeks of prodromal labor that exhausted me physically and emotionally. I tried every natural labor induction method out there to get labor started and none of it worked. Finally at 41 weeks 3 days (March 24) I got a two hour massage. It was heaven! I think I was holding in so much tension and anxiety because I worried I wouldn't be able to have the birth I wanted. After the massage (at 2pm Sunday) I started getting regular, strong contractions, but after a couple hours they stopped, just like they had been the last weeks. I went for a walk, had a snack and tried not to be disappointed and discouraged that things calmed down again. Around 6 I decided to pump for a while and I got extremely strong contractions from that. I had random contractions all evening but they were very sporadic. Around 9 pm I realized it was getting more difficult to walk or talk through the contractions and that's when I realized I might be in labor! I called the midwife to give her a heads up. She said to get to bed early. We did but I couldn't sleep at all. The contractions were so intense when I was laying down. I had to start moaning through them at 10. By 11 they were 3 minutes apart. I called the midwife at 12 (March 25) when they were 2 minutes apart and told her I thought it was time she come. My sister came and picked up my 17 month old daughter and the midwife was here by 12:30. When they got to our house things really ramped up. They said I could get in the birth tub whenever I wanted. I did, and it was heaven! I can't even imagine how much more intense my labor would have been if i hadn't been in the water. I remember hitting transition because I started crying. It was super hard. I thought I was loud when I was in labor with my first. The labor for her was 23 hours And I didn't scream at all with her. This one, the pain was crushing. My hips felt they were coming apart. My lower back hurt so bad and my legs kept cramping. I couldn't help but scream. The midwives kept telling me to slow down my breathing and keep my voice low, and I tried but it was so hard! I looked at my husband and he looked liked he wanted to cry. I knew this was hard for him to watch. At 3:45 I started sobbing that I can't do it anymore. I just want to be done and I need a break! The contractions had no break between them. It was one after the other and they were so strong! Suddenly, I felt my body pushing down. I said I feel like I need to poop! The midwife said "it's your baby's head coming down!" I was roaring and screaming and I pushed so hard. It was starting to sting and I said "I'm almost done" over and over. And "she's almost here!" I was so thankful. I pushed three more times and I felt the babys head come out. I panted while the shoulder came out. I remember the midwife had her hand down there for counter pressure and I could feel the babys body rotating. I said "don't twist her!" She said "the baby is turning so she can come out!" I felt her body come out and suddenly she was on my chest! Born at 4:44am. I just said "thank you God I am so glad to be done" over and over. I didn't even look at my baby at first. I just held her And thanked God for bringing her. Then I opened my eyes and my daughter was the tiniest cutest baby I've ever seen. I felt some very intense cramping still and it was only a couple minutes and the placenta came out. the baby was laying on my chest wiggly but still quiet. They said she was breathing fine but just sitting there looking around with her eyes wide open. I rubbed her back and she coughed and gave a good cry. I felt incredible after this birth. I had no tearing or abrasions whatsoever and no hemorrhaging (I did with my first). The midwife made me And my husband breakfast and they cleaned everything up and left by 6am. we crawled in bed for some good sleep. Even though the birth was super intense and emotional, it was really awesome. i keep looking at my beautiful Baby and thinking how blessed I am. Welcome Kaia Paige! She weighed 8lbs and was 20in long.